Roar of the Pride
by The-Lost-Samurai
Summary: What if Vegeta had different motivations growing up? What if his drive had come from a different source? What if he had truly found his pride from the beginning? How would this different mindset shape his actions? With something worth fighting for, the Saiyan Prince is ready to lave his mark on the universe. Slightly Vegeta centric AU.
1. A Proposition

Warning: When I say Vegeta centric, I mean the plot will have a greater focus on Vegeta. This does not mean that Goku or any other significant characters will fade into the background, so don't expect the shounen hero to become insignificant by any means. I'm simply attempting to find a good balance between the development of both the hero and the anti-hero.

Whatever you expect from this story, don't expect updates as frequent as those of Second Wind (if you read it), because I don't plan on it. It would be inefficient to divide my focus that much and I wish to concentrate on the one I'm already working on a little more.

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball. But maybe if I collect seven of them I can change that. For now, it belongs to Akira Toriyama.

* * *

Piccolo opened his eyes wide as he quickly rose to his feet from atop the mountain on which he was meditating. He had been honing his mental discipline, reaching out with his senses to test the limits of his perception, when he had sensed the most terrifying power he'd ever felt flicker to life off over the horizon. It had seemingly come out of nowhere. For a moment it had been idle, but now he could feel it coming in his direction, and fast.

He took a guarded stance as the object of his fear came into his sight and touched down onto the mountain across from him seconds later. If he had any doubts from a distance, they vanished instantly now. There was no denying the power that was staring him right in the face.

"You're not Kakarot," the man said bluntly. "I assumed such an outlier power level on this planet would be him, however disappointing it was. Instead I find a rogue Namekian."

Piccolo stilled. _Namekian_? What did that mean? Who was this guy who was casually calling his power a disappointment, and who was Kakarot?

"Oh well, I'll have to broaden my range," the man continued. "Luckily this planet isn't that huge." He started repeatedly pressing the button on the side of the strange contraption attached to his face. "Let's see, 139, 177, 206...oh, look at that, a 250. I guess I should commend these select few for striving to surpass the standards of this pitiful planet."

Now Piccolo's mind was racing. _Planet_? This guy was an _alien_?

"You're not bad yourself actually. 322 is way above average on this overgrown insect colony," he stated half-mindedly. "Still, you'd get thrashed quickly if you ever left this planet. It's surprising to be honest. With the light atmosphere and the thriving conditions here I'd expect stronger life forms to evolve. Not that I'm an expert on the subject." He was rambling now, and yet every word continuously tore down Piccolo's view of the world. When would he wake up from this?

The scouter suddenly started beeping erratically. "And...334. Ding, we have a winner! God, is that really you Kakarot? I'll have to beat some discipline into you if it is. You clearly haven't pushed yourself much if that's how far you've come as a full grown saiyan."

_What the hell is a saiyan? _The question added itself to the growing list of concerns in Piccolo's mind. Before he could even begin to collect his thoughts, the man flew off in the direction of Kame house, at an even greater speed than before.

* * *

Goku head perked up as he felt the otherworldly power approaching. His eyes widened and sweat started to pour down his face. "Master Roshi! We're about to have company!" he shouted.

The turtle hermit froze. "Is it..?" he trailed off. Even Piccolo hadn't gotten such a reaction from Goku the last time they'd fought. The expression on his face right now wasn't something he saw often. The earth's greatest hero was _afraid_.

"It's not Piccolo," Goku said. "Whoever it is, it puts Piccolo to shame." Now that was not something Roshi heard on a good day. Piccolo had been his disciple's most terrifying opponent. He had barely come out of that conflict alive. Thinking about someone who put that guy to shame stretched the limits of the imagination. Goku wasn't one to exaggerate these things, however.

Everyone slowly made their way out to see what the commotion was. "Yo, what's happening?" Krillin asked as he took sight of Goku's face. What has Goku all worked up?" Gohan stared up at his Dad nervously. He wanted to know the answer to that himself. He had never seen his Dad afraid of anything. Bulma made her way out behind Krillin, a scowl leftover on her face from her thorough rant about all of Yamcha's flaws.

Those thoughts quickly left her mind, however, as what looked like a man shot down from the atmosphere and came to an abrupt halt in front of Goku. Everyone stared at the new arrival in apprehension. Master Roshi looked at him gravely. So this was the one who had Goku so tense. He was trouble, no doubt about it.

"It's been a while, Kakarot," the man said with a grin on his face. "I see you haven't abandoned your imitation of our father since your birth. You're practically a clone of him."

Goku's mind raced. His father? _Their_ father? A collective "our?" Goku had never known his father, but what this guy was implying…

Raditz looked around at the shocked expressions of everyone on the island, including that of Kakarot. "Ok, why do I feel like I just blew your minds? Not that I don't enjoy doing that to people, but I would enjoy this a lot more if I knew what the source of your surprise was," he said.

His audience remained silent, and after several seconds of silence he grew annoyed. "If you have questions then ask people. I can't answer them if I don't know what they are. I assumed that Kakarot had explained this all to you, since he seems to keep you in this company. Pretty dull place you call home by the way, brother." He glanced at Kame house in distaste as he said this.

Krillin took a deep breath and spoke. "Ok then, let's take this one step at a time," he said reasonably. Who the hell is Kakarot?"

Raditz looked at the short bald man like he was an idiot before pointing at Goku.

"Oh, well there's your first problem," Krillin said. "His name's Goku. Ok, on to question two. Who are you and why are you talking about Goku like he's your family or something?"

"And there's _your_ first problem," Raditz said. His name is Kakarot. There's no way I'd mix him up with someone else. Like I said, he's practically a very weak clone of our father. And that was question 2 and 3 by the way. Don't act like it only counts as one." 20 Questions with Nappa was one of Raditz' most effective pass times during long distance travel, if only because it annoyed the boss to no end. He wouldn't just let that one slide. "Whatever, I'll answer them in order. I'm Raditz, and I'm talking about him like we're family because he's my younger brother. I'm pretty sure I addressed him as _brother_ just a moment ago. Are you that dense?"

Krillin was getting a little dizzy. It was clear that his rational approach to this situation wasn't working very well. He turned to Goku, who was just as lost. "Well, I tried. You've got the floor buddy." Goku continued staring at Raditz in wonder. "Brother…" he repeated dumbly. He had never known most of his family. The only one he knew was grandpa Gohan, who had never told him anything. Come to think of it, he had never even asked. He hadn't even known what a regular family was like while his grandpa was still alive. But he had a _brother_?

"Let's say I believe you," Goku said slowly. "Why have you waited so long to find me? What happened to our father?"

Raditz let out a tired sigh. "Ok, this is slightly problematic. Did you suffer head trauma when you were an infant?" he asked in exasperation.

"If you must know, I was dropped off a cliff when I was a baby," Goku replied. "What does that have to do with this?"

"You lost your memory," Raditz said simply. "That explains why your mission wasn't carried out at the very least. Ok, I think I understand what's happened."

"Care to explain then? Because I'm still lost," Krillin said in confusion.

"Goku," Master Roshi spoke up in a grave tone. "A long time ago, your grandfather told me a story that I haven't felt the need to repeat to you until now. Many years ago, he was walking through the forest when he saw an unidentified object fall from the sky and land in the underbrush nearby. He decided to investigate, and found a small pod in a crater. The door opened before his eyes, and inside he found a crying baby boy. Seeing that he was alone and doomed to die, Gohan raised the boy as his own. As the boy grew, he became more and more of a handful. The baby was hostile to the point where it seemed unnatural. One day, the baby was throwing a tantrum and he ended up falling off a cliff and landing head first onto a rock. He miraculously survived, and from that day onward, he was the most kind, carefree child Gohan could ever ask for." As Roshi finished, Goku took a deep breath, taking the information in. Ok, his grandfather wasn't related to him by blood. He could deal with that. It didn't change anything really.

"Alright, where to start?" Raditz wondered idly. He pointed at Goku. "Your birth name is Kakarot. You were born on planet Vegeta, home to an interstellar race of warriors called the saiyans, and a planet which was destroyed long ago by a power hungry galactic emperor who rules over the planets like a collection of rocks. You were conceived to Bardock and Gine on the day of the planet's destruction, and were sent here on a mission to wipe all life off the planet so that it could be sold to the highest bidding patron race. To this day, you remain one of the last remaining members of the saiyan race," he took a deep breath as he finished. "Any questions?"

Silence permeated the island. Not a single person spoke, but their expressions said plenty. Raditz rubbed his head out of habit. "I'd like to assume that your silence means you have none. Too bad I know better," he said. "Well, speak up."

Bulma raised her hand shakily. Raditz raised an eyebrow at her. "You're not serious with that are you? Do I look like a school teacher to you?" Bulma quickly dropped her hand.

"Um, first of all, I'd like to say that this is the most insane, freakish, unbelievable, outlandish story I've ever been told…"

"I must conclude that your race doesn't tell very good stories then. But go on."

"Assuming we believe a word of what you've just said, I'm actually having some trouble getting passed the _wipe out all life on the planet_ part. You know that's genocide right?"

Raditz hummed. "Actually genocide refers to the specific purging of a single race, usually for the benefit of competing races. The technical term for life wiping on a diverse planet such as this is omnicide," he corrected trivially. Bulma subconsciously took a step back.

Krillin seemed to find his courage in the face of the casual way he was talking about such grievous atrocities. "Bastard! If you think Goku would ever take part in something like that, you're severely mistaken! If you think you're doing anything remotely close to that on earth, you'll have to go through us first!"

Raditz blinked. "Oh, you're worried about that? Well rest assured, Kakarot's mission is ancient history. It is of little consequence to us, especially considering that we're practically at war with the ones that originally assigned it. No, my only reason for coming here is you," he said as he pointed to Goku again. "I've been tasked with the recruitment of the last member of our great race. Your power level is far lower than I would have liked, but that can be fixed in due time. Come with us, Kakarot, and fight with us in the never ending battle of bringing honor to our fallen ancestors."

Goku stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "You want me to come with you? To leave earth?" Raditz nodded, and Goku shook his head firmly. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. I won't lie to you. It's nice to learn about my heritage, and I appreciate the offer, but I have to decline. Regardless of my birthplace, the earth is my home now. I have a wife and son to look after."

"Son?" Raditz repeated. He snuck a glance at Gohan for the first time. "I assume you mean him? He has a tail, so that proves he has saiyan blood, even if it's impure. How interesting. I've never seen a half-blood saiyan before." He thought for a moment. "Well, saiyan blood is saiyan blood. He can come too you want to bring him. It's never too early to start training."

"I'm sorry, but my answer is still no," Goku said. "My place is here."

"So you refuse?" Raditz asked, scratching his head. "Well that's troublesome. The boss didn't specify what to do if you said no. I guess I could just knock you out and force you to come, but it's preferable that you come willingly." Goku ignored the open threat of being knocked unconscious as his brother rubbed his chin in thought, then froze. He stared down at the ground as a focused expression spread out across his face. He stayed silent as if listening intently to something. Finally, he looked up at them. "Alright, I've transmitted this conversation back to the others, and I have new orders. I'm to wait on this planet until they arrive so that they can meet you in person. If anyone can change your mind, it's Vegeta."

"You mean more aliens are coming?" Bulma asked fearfully. "When will they arrive?"

"Unfortunately they're in the far outskirts of the galaxy right now. We've been in hiding for a long time now, so it's important that we all stay under the empire's radar. It will take them about a year to get here."

"A whole year?" Krillin asked. "What are you going to do until then?"

"Train," Raditz answered immediately. "As the last remnants of the saiyan race, we must strive to gain strength at every opportunity in order to one day avenge our fallen comrades. I suggest you do the same in the next year, Kakarot. It would be unfitting for you to face Prince Vegeta with a power level that low. If you ever want help training, I could always use a sparring partner. I'll be staying in the northernmost polar region of this planet, in case you're interested. Until next time, brother." With those parting words, he rose up into the air, getting ready to take off. Before he did, his scouter alerted him to another power level. He turned to face the Namekian from before. "Am I being followed?" he asked the green man rhetorically. Said man just stared at him with an assessing look. Raditz guessed that he had overheard most of that conversation. Oh well, like they say...curiosity killed the slug. _Wait, that's not right_, he thought. _No one actually says that. I just made that up_. Having drawn everyone's attention to the Namekian, who evidently wasn't on friendly terms with them judging from the looks on all of their faces, he shot off of the island and into the clouds, leaving the dumbfounded group of earthlings to contemplate everything that they'd just learned.

* * *

On a distant planet in the outermost reaches of the galaxy, two black haired men both sporting tails sat atop a wide pile of corpses. The shorter one of them took a large bite out of a disembodied arm that he had finished roasting over a fire. "It's always the same," he said through a mouth full of food. "We arrive on the planet, the locals panic, we surrender peacefully in hopes that we can keep a low profile, and they imprison us. You know I really wouldn't care if not for the attempts to execute us or sell us into slavery that always come after."

The taller one swallowed and shrugged. "Well, what can you do? It's not like there's anyone left to bury them on this barren rock. Nothing good comes from wasting the meat."

"We're gonna have to do that anyway," the shorter one said regretfully. "You heard Raditz' report. We need to head to earth as soon as possible, and it's not like we can fit all this in our one man pods. Curse Freeza and his conservative funding…"

Nappa couldn't agree more. It made sense from a galactic dictator's perspective. Why waste resources on slightly bigger ships in which warriors could actually stretch their legs if it ultimately had no sway on the success of the mission? Still, that didn't mean to had to like it. He was not looking forward to spending a year in that cramped pod getting by on artificial nutrients. He was convinced to this day that such an unnatural diet weakened the body. Vegeta didn't seem to notice, but then again, he was Vegeta. They'd set foot on planets with gravity 5 times as strong as their old home world without the prince even noticing. But even he regularly lost his patience traversing the galaxy in those miniature pods, if only out of boredom. Oh well. Maybe they could stop on an inhabited planet on the way for a stretch.

As they both got into their pods, Vegeta set the coordinates for their trip. "Destination: earth, he said, triggering the voice command AI that was programmed into the pod.

_Destination: Ee-arth, confirmed._ The voice of the AI was feminine and metallic. Nappa fought back the urge to laugh. Did it actually just mispronounce the name of a planet that Vegeta had pronounced clearly and correctly for it? So much for artificial intelligence.

"Dammit Freeza!" Vegeta screamed in a cold fury. "Even after years of dealing with you, once we finally escape your reach, you continue to torment us with this pathetic excuse for an infernal scrap of supposedly intelligent machinery! On the day I take your head, I'll be sure to leave it inside one of these damn pods so that you too can test the limits of your sanity as the life slowly leaves your severed head you horrid son of a-" His loud rant was cut off by the sealing of the pod doors, much to Nappa's relief. Maybe he'd just leave the communicator on his scouter off for a little while...

* * *

A/N: First chapter of this one done. I was actually inspired to write this after watching that Light of Hope trailer on youtube. Isn't that funny? I think it's pretty funny.


	2. Preparations

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball.

* * *

The buzz of excitement resulting from Raditz' appearance lingered in Kame house. It had been a full day since his departure after the promise of extraterrestrial visitors in a year's time. While Bulma, Krillin, and Master Roshi had spent most of this time arguing over what to do, and failing to come to any sort of agreement, Goku had seemed strangely distant since the encounter. Even now as he stared out over the ocean, Krillin wondered for the first time what was going through his head. It was definitely a lot to take in. Krillin could only imagine what it must be like for him coming to terms with everything he'd been told. They'd all decided to leave him alone for now.

Gohan still had no idea what was going on. It still hadn't really sunk in that he was a human alien hybrid, and Krillin didn't expect that to change anytime soon. The mind of a child was much more flexible than that of an adult, but it was also far less durable. He wasn't sure what a realization like that could do to someone of Gohan's age. It didn't help that Chichi sheltered him so much. He shuddered as he thought of Chichi. He could only imagine how she'd react to all this. It wasn't a conversation he was looking forward to.

Silence permeated the room as the trio ate breakfast along with Gohan. Needless to say the same thing was still on all of their minds this morning. The three greeted Goku as he walked into the house and started eating without a word. After another minute of silence, Goku spoke up. "I've been thinking," he began after emptying his plate of it's contents. The three gave him their undivided attention, wondering what Goku planned to do about all this. "I'm going to go find him," he continued. They looked at him in surprise.

"Find him?" Krillin repeated. "What do you plan to do after that? If you want to know more about the saiyans or whatever, he doesn't strike me as the type to sit around telling stories."

"I know," Goku replied. "I'm going to take him up on the offer to train." Master Roshi's eyes widened. Goku hadn't trained in years. Was all this so shocking to him that he suddenly felt the need to start again even after he'd settled down?

"Are you sure about that Goku?" he asked reluctantly. Goku nodded.

"I know it may seem strange, but it's been bothering me ever since he first showed up. The amount of power he had is something I never thought I'd see firsthand. At first I wondered how he could have possibly attained it. It can't just be because he's an alien. I'm one too after all. So then what was it? What made us different? That's what I wondered at first, but it's so obvious to me now." He looked up and met Master Roshi's eyes. "I've been slacking off. For the past 5 years I've done nothing to further my own strength. I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the way I grew content with my own limits, and instead of pushing passed them like I would always do as a kid, I let them restrict me. Meanwhile, my brother has always been training to break those limits. That's why he's so far away."

"Goku…how can you say that?" Bulma asked in worry. "You don't really regret settling down do you? Marrying Chi-chi and raising Gohan? Isn't that worth it?"

"Of course it is," Goku said. "And that's exactly why I need to do this. For the same reason I always pushed myself to the breaking point as a kid. So I can protect everyone. His arrival was like a wakeup call. If there are people even more powerful than him out there, what would I ever do if the life I've created was threatened by someone like that? I need to be ready. I could never give back what I've gained with Chi-chi and Gohan. I'll do _anything_ to ensure their happiness." He looked up to the ceiling, knowing that Gohan was sleeping soundly on upstairs, as Bulma stared at him in wonder, Krillin in pride, and Master Roshi in understanding. He turned back to them. "When Gohan wakes up, explain that I'm going to be gone for a while, but that I'll be back within the year. Can I trust you guys to take care of him until Chi-chi comes looking for him?"

"Of course," Krillin said quietly. "You can count on us. Do what you have to do." Goku smiled at him in thanks, and then walked out of the house before flying off. Krillin watched him leave, wondering just what the future had in store. Whatever was coming, he was sure of one thing. He could count on Goku to confront it head on when the time came. The least he could do in the meantime was endure his wife's wrath…

* * *

Raditz focused on the feeling of the energy as it radiated off of his body, willing it to intensify. He let out a roar as the ki reached it's peak and the mountain sized iceberg in front of him was liquified and evaporated by the energy waves. He grimaced. Not good enough. He had used far too much energy to achieve the desired effect. If he continued wasting that much energy on the battlefield, he would tire too quickly. He was wondering how he should go about working on his ki efficiency when his scouter started beeping. He grinned at the familiar number in satisfaction. So he'd decided to show up huh? How long had he been at this anyway? He stared up at the sky, but it wasn't much help. The sun didn't set over this region of the planet, so it was hard to tell. He estimated it had been about a day and a half since he'd found Kakarot. He waited patiently as said man drew closer before finally coming within range of his sight and stopping in front of him soon after.

"Welcome, brother," Raditz greeted. "I assume the fact that you're here means that you're ready to train harder than you ever have before in your life," he said. At Goku's immediate nod, he smirked. "Then let's get started."

* * *

Krillin stared in horror at the familiar figure hovering over Kame island. "Master Roshi!" he shouted. "We have a problem!" Gohan, who was still too inexperienced to recognize the obvious signs of fear in his current babysitter, stared up at the man in wonder. "Mr. Krillin, who is that man? He's green," he said, oblivious to the threat. It wasn't long before Roshi rushed out of the house with a magazine in hand, struggling to get his pants on as he hurried out the door.

"What is it Krillin? I'm sure you can handle Chi-chi on your own. It's not as if she's actually as dangerous as she is terrifying. Just man up and tell-" He froze as he caught sight of Piccolo staring down at them with an unreadable expression. "-her," he finished absentmindedly before paling.

"I've come for the boy," Piccolo stated, getting right down to business. Krillin's eyes widened and he instinctively moved in front of Gohan while keeping his eyes on Piccolo. "Forget it," he said without a single stutter despite the fear etched onto his face. Gohan looked back and forth between the two in confusion. Piccolo chuckled at Krillin's open defiance before appearing right in front of him slightly faster than he could react. Krillin, though caught off guard, jumped and aimed a roundhouse kick at his face, but Piccolo simply caught his leg with one hand before tossing him aside.

Krillin crashed into Kame house but quickly recovered. He charged back at Piccolo, but was intercepted by an identical copy of the green man. The multi form technique. Krillin tried to move passed the doppelganger, but was cut off at every turn, and he could only watch as Piccolo walked up to the now petrified Gohan and picked him up with one arm. Gohan began kicking and screaming frantically, but his struggles were worth next to nothing, and he was knocked out effortlessly by a quick chop to the back of the neck.

"Dammit Piccolo! Why now!?" Krillin shouted in desperation as the doppelganger continued to hold him off. The real Piccolo ignored the question and took to the sky with Gohan tucked under one arm.

* * *

Goku was getting more discouraged by the second. Every punch he threw was easily blocked, every assault he attempted effortlessly thwarted. They had been at this for hours now, and he had yet to land a single punch. What was even more humiliating was that his opponent had yet to try any attacks of his own, choosing to simply block, dodge, or parry his every move. Feeling out someone's power was one thing. Experiencing it first hand was quite different. To top it off, he was actually starting to get tired. His even breathing had escalated to a light pant, but Raditz looked no worse than he had when they'd begun sparring. If this could even be called that. He had long since abandoned his weighted clothing, and Raditz had watched in slight interest (apparently his power level had risen), but the increase in speed was hardly making any difference, and the increase in strength was completely useless if he couldn't land a single hit.

Suddenly he drew back, giving himself some room. He had never been airborne this long, much less fought this long in the air before, usually having some dry land to work with, and this was quickly becoming a learning experience in that regard. He brought both hands to one side and slipped into the traditional stance for Master Roshi's signature move. "_**Ka...me...ha...me…**_" Raditz's scouter started beeping frantically, and his eyes widened slightly. "_**Ha!**_" The blue-white energy blast crossed the space between them almost instantaneously, only to be batted away by Raditz' fist. The ki wave was sent spiralling downward before it finally made contact with the sub zero water below them, resulting in large waves spreading out from the disturbance in every direction. Raditz seemed completely unphased by the attack but was nevertheless staring at Goku in open fascination.

"How'd you do that?" he asked curiously. Goku looked at him in confusion.

"Do what? The energy blast?"

"No, not the confounded energy blast," Raditz said in annoyance. "You spiked your power level momentarily. It came close to a thousand for the duration of that attack, and then plummeted back down afterwards."

"Well...yea?" Goku said, not really seeing what the issue was. "That was my best technique, so I put a lot of power into it. That's why I have to use it sparingly. It drains me quite a bit."

Raditz looked taken aback for some reason. "Are you telling me you can raise your power level at will?" he asked. Goku shrugged.

"Yea, I guess. By a certain amount," Goku confirmed.

"That's...enlightening. I'll have to look into that later," he said as he transmitted the potentially promising information to Vegeta and Nappa through his scouter. Goku took the time to catch his breath and stared down at his clenched fists. He didn't feel like he was making much progress.

"Hey, so that scouter thing can read ki intensity right?" he asked.

"Yes. You're at 424 now if that's what you're wondering," Raditz replied.

"How does that measure up exactly?" Goku asked with a sheepish grin.

"You'd be overwhelmed by even the weakest of Freeza's imperial forces," Raditz said bluntly. Goku's shoulders slumped. "If you really want faster results, there is another way to go about this," Raditz added. Goku's head perked up in interest.

"You mean other than sparring? What's that?" he asked.

"We fight, and I beat you within an inch of your life," Raditz answered evenly.

Goku sweatdropped. "Uh, what?"

"Perhaps some background knowledge would be helpful," Raditz said. "The saiyans, like many of the galaxy's inhabitants, evolved as a warrior race due to the harsh conditions of our world and the need to survive against our many adversaries. As a result, we are gifted with very powerful genes, which grant us some extremely useful natural talents," Raditz explained. Goku was listening eagerly, so he continued. "Among them are a primal lust for battle, unyielding vitality, and invigorating hormones that increase our natural stamina passed that of almost any other known species in the universe." He paused. "Do not think, however, that our natural affinity for battle puts us above those are species by default. While our DNA's attributes do grant us almost unlimited potential in battle, that potential must be brought forth for it to mean anything. And that brings us to the most powerful weapon that our race has been gifted with. Zenkai."

"Zenkai?" Goku repeated. It definitely _sounded _promising.

"Have you ever been fatally injured by an enemy or an opponent, only to feel far stronger than you were before once you fully recovered?" Raditz asked. Goku's eyes widened in confirmation, and Raditz grinned. "That is what we call Zenkai. Our unique genes have given birth to an ability that causes even the most powerful beings in the galaxy to fear our progress. Have you ever given any thought to how complex lifeforms acquire newfound strength to begin with? Why is it that even on a planet such as this, where the average power level of the intelligent lifeform is below 10, beings can experience growth by pushing the limits of their bodies? That is due to a fundamental law that governs all sentient life in the universe. Whatever doesn't kill you...can only make you stronger. When a bone is broken, it will heal with increased durability. When a muscle is overworked, it will rise to the challenge upon recovery. We saiyans experience this phenomenon to an unprecedented degree."

Raditz' grin widened as he spread his arms out at his sides. "Crush our bones, and they'll grow back tougher. Tear our muscles, and they'll knit together stronger. So long as we survive, we come back better than ever, without fail. That is why our enemies fear us. To kill a saiyan is honorable. To leave one alone is smart. To leave one _half _dead...is suicide. The more we train, the more this can be exploited. The more we fight, the stronger we get."

As Raditz finished, Goku thought back to all the times this had applied to him. After every fight, after every defeat, he _had_ come back stronger, rising to the challenge each and every time. Now he understood how. Man, if he'd only known about this when he was training on Kami's lookout…

"So if you want to improve faster, I'll start attacking now," Raditz concluded. Goku grinned widely.

"Alright, let's do it!"

* * *

Krillin sighed in exasperation as the Ox King slung an unconscious Chi-chi over his shoulder. She had taken the report of Gohan's kidnapping about as well as he'd predicted. A small part of him acknowledged that this reaction was preferable to throwing a fit. He followed the Ox King into Kame house, where Master Roshi and Bulma were waiting for him.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked.

"What kind of question is that?" Bulma asked. "We find Gohan, obviously!"

"Thanks Bulma," Krillin deadpanned. "I was actually wondering how we should go about doing that."

"Well don't ask me! You're the one who can sense energy or whatever. Find Piccolo!" she shouted in frustration.

"I can't sense Ki nearly as well as Goku can. I lost track of Piccolo soon after he left, and he could be anywhere by now," Krillin stated regretfully. Master Roshi adopted a focused expression.

"Didn't Gohan have the four star dragon ball on his hat?" he asked suddenly. Krillin's eyes lit up in recognition, and Bulma smiled widely.

"You're right! That's how we'll find him," she said as she pulled out the dragon radar from her backpack.

"You still carry that around with you?" Krillin asked in surprise.

"Well yea. You never know when we might need to find them," she answered as she turned it on. Now let's see, the four star ball is…" she trailed off as she zoomed in and confusion slid across her face. "Here on Kame island?"

Krillin's eyes widened before he closed them and sighed. He quickly walked out of the house, and several seconds later, returned with the orb in question. "He just left it in the sand," Krillin said, sounding defeated. "He's cautious, I'll give him that." Bulma slumped back onto the couch as their only hope of finding Goku's son vanished. They spent the next few minutes brainstorming ways that they could find Piccolo. Bulma asked where the most barren wasteland on earth was. Krillin wasn't really sure why she asked _him _that, and responded that he had no idea. It was then that Krillin felt a relatively strong Ki approaching the island and rushed out to find a familiar face walking toward the house.

"I remember you," Krillin said. "You're that guy that was at Karin's tower. Um...Orenjirobe?"

"Yajirobe, idiot. And no one is going to get that pun. I didn't come here to be insulted, you know."

"And...why did you come here exactly?" Krillin said as he rubbed his head.

"Karin sent me to find you. He has two messages from Kami."

Krillin straightened. "Kami? He has a message for _me_?" Yajirobe nodded.

"The first one is: Don't worry about Gohan. Whatever that means." Krillin's jaw dropped. Did that guy know everything? And why would he tell them not to worry? This was Piccolo they were talking about. The only person on earth that had ever beaten him was Goku. "The second is not just for you, but also for three others named Yamcha, Tien Shinhan, and Chiaotzu," Yajirobe continued. "He wants all four of you to meet him up on the lookout."

"The lookout? Why does he want to meet all of us?" Krillin asked curiously.

"He said something about great danger approaching the earth in the foreseeable future. I wasn't really paying that much attention, but he also said we were all going to train under him."

It took a minute for Krillin to absorb this information. Danger approaching the earth? From what Goku's brother had said, the other two saiyans were more or less coming in peace. Did this mean their arrival would bring undesirable consequences? And then there was the training bit. They were going to be training with Kami. The guardian must have been very worried about something if he was giving all four of them the same training that he had once given Goku. Not for the first time since what happened almost two days ago now, Krillin wondered just what the future held.

* * *

Gohan shivered as the wind passed by him. There seemed to be an abundance of it at the top of this plateau that he had somehow gotten himself stuck on. To take his mind off the growling of his stomach, Gohan went over the list of things that had happened to him today that he never would have imagined would happen to him. Kidnapped by a flying green man, abandoned in the middle of a rocky wasteland, chased by a carnivorous dinosaur, and finally stranded on top of this weird rock formation without any food or water. The list was steadily growing. He sincerely hoped it would stop soon.

His stomach growled again and he moaned. He briefly considered trying to climb down, but decided he'd rather be hungry then dead. Suddenly he heard two thuds and shot to a sitting position, looking around. He spotted what looked like two apples across from him, and started drooling. He rushed over and picked them up, not caring very much where they had come from even as his mind supplied that there couldn't be any apple trees this high up. He dug in greedily, ignoring the sour taste. From above, Piccolo stared down at him in apathy.

_Enjoy it kid. That's the last time I help you. You're going to need to learn to fend for yourself eventually. _He sighed as he wondered not for the first time that day why he had kidnapped this stupid kid to begin with. He kept telling himself that it was mostly to get revenge on Goku. Overhearing that he was a saiyan and that his brat of a child had the blood of an alien race flowing through his veins was part of it. The power of earth's visitor was unreal. If he could unlock that kind of potential in this impressionable child, he'd have that much more power at his disposal. Still, it didn't look like this kid had as much potential as he'd hoped. He still couldn't get down from that stupid rock. Flying be damned, was it so hard to climb down a rock? He sighed again.

A part of his mind that he had been suppressing recently was insisting that there was another reason why he had taken the kid. It was just a strange feeling he had had really. It was nothing to go by, but he couldn't shake the growing feeling that there was some great, unseen enemy baring its fangs at him. It was starting to get annoying. Did that fool Kami have something to do with this sensation?

It didn't matter though. He would use this kid for his own purposes, whether or not his uneasy thoughts were well founded or not. By the time he was done with him, he'd either by a great warrior or a dead brat, and while the former was preferable, he was fine with either. Chances were that Goku was currently training with the saiyan. He'd be ready for them both in a year's time. He had his own training to do.

_Just wait, Goku._

* * *

A/N: Power levels

Goku - 424

Piccolo - 415

Gohan - 1.5


	3. The Transformation

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball.

* * *

Goku rolled his arms in his sockets and stretched his muscles. That last beating he'd taken had been brutal, but now he felt good as new. This training program was becoming really efficient.

"It looks like you weren't lying when you said you could speed up your rate of recovery," Raditz commented. "How exactly do those beans function?"

Goku looked at him in confusion. "Function?" he repeated.

"Well yes. These beans of yours can somehow heal bodily wounds and restore one's stamina immediately upon consumption. Even the empire's top of the line medical technology cannot replicate that kind of effectiveness. I'm wondering how they're grown," Raditz said.

Goku thought for a moment. "You know, I've never really thought about it," he admitted. I kind of just get them from Karin when I need them."

"So you've never wondered how they work or what's in them?" Raditz asked in annoyance. "Do you even realize what you have at your disposal? The application of such an asset on the battlefield or even in training would be revolutionary, especially for a saiyan."

Goku rubbed his head sheepishly. "I guess I never considered that. Things have been pretty peaceful here for a while now. I guess that's why Karin has so many saved up. With as many as we have, we'll be improving leaps and bounds!"

Raditz shrugged. "I suppose so. Your power is rapidly growing, and even my own is increasing steadily. I haven't had a chance to get this much training in for a while. But before we continue, I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Huh? What is it?" Goku asked.

"Your tail. It's not that uncommon for a saiyan to lose his tail in battle, even if we try our best to avoid it. Some opponents figure out our weakness after all," Raditz said. "But what kind of enemy was able to take yours from you? Was it the Namekian?"

"My tail?" Goku asked in confusion. "I cut it off a long time ago. Why?"

Raditz stared at him with an unreadable expression. "You cut it off yourself?" he repeated. At Goku's nod, he brought two fingers to his brow in apparent frustration. "You cut off the saiyan's greatest source of power. Of course. Why not?"

"Source of power?" Goku asked curiously. "It's true I felt a little stronger with my tail attached, but once I got used to fighting without it, I was fine. Does it make that much of a difference?"

"God you're a fool," Raditz said in exasperation. "Didn't you ever look at the full moon when you still had your tail? You should know about the transformation by now."

Goku's eyes widened. Full moon? Transformation? A story that his grandpa told him when he was a child crept into his mind for the first time in years. He didn't like where this was going.

"Well it seems you know something about it at the very least," Raditz said as he observed the look on Goku's face. When a saiyan looks at the full moon, the sight of it triggers a reaction in the hormonal glands of our tails, causing us to transform into the most powerful embodiment of our race's power, the mighty Oozaru. This subsequently causes our power to multiply. It was one of the many advantages our kind had over its competitors...hey, are you still listening?"

Goku was _not_ still listening. The full breadth of his mental power was being channeled into processing one incomprehensible, yet inescapable fact that he had simply never acknowledged until it was forced in front of him. As he brought one trembling hand to his forehead and looked down with a distant look in his eyes, Raditz was rapidly put the pieces together in his mind.

_Did he transform at some point? Most definitely. Was he in control? Most likely not. So he killed someone then? Probably. But who? That old man said he lived alone in the woods with his… _

Raditz blinked, then sighed in frustration. _Son of a bitch. _

"Kakarot."

Goku was snapped out of his daze and looked up with a pained expression. Raditz grimaced as he thought about what to say._ This is ridiculous. I'm a warrior, not a blasted motivational speaker. I don't get paid enough for this. In fact, I don't get payed at all. Even with Freeza it was pretty much 'do as I say or perish today_._' I'm pretty sure the last decent meal I had was when we landed on that jungle planet and the inhabitants tried to execute us_.

"Kakarot, I know what you're probably thinking. But it's hardly your fault. Even some fully grown saiyans couldn't control the transformation," he said finally. "Still, I know the feeling. We felt the same way when our home planet was wiped out."

Goku's expression relaxed somewhat. "And how did you deal with that?" he asked quietly. God, this wasn't something he expected. Finding out that he was the monster that only came out at night from the stories of his childhood wasn't that great, but finding out that he killed his grandfather all those years ago...it was another matter entirely.

"For the most part we coped by swearing that we would one day gain vengeance against the one who took everything from us. I don't think that's really an option for you though. Honestly I would just move on. Dwelling on it won't change anything." Goku's shoulders were still slumped, but he nodded weakly.

_Glad that's over. I'm just glad Nappa isn't here. He'd never let me live this down. _

Suddenly Goku's head perked up and his eyes widened. "Wait...can half blood saiyans transform too?" he asked.

Raditz hummed thoughtfully. "I can't be sure. Saiyans didn't do much interbreeding with other races before planet Vegeta was destroyed. But since your offspring does have a tail it should be possible."

Now Goku was starting to get worried. Gohan had never actually seen the full moon before, but that could change at any time.

"And how much power would it give him exactly?" he asked.

"With fully developed saiyans it increases tenfold, but in the case of one as young as your son, the transformation is usually much more erratic. He could be close to a thousand times stronger if he transformed, but my scouter would alert me to an outlier like that."

"Really? How wide is that thing's range anyway?"

"It depends on the intensity of the source. Radiation from higher powers are easier to pick up on. On a relatively small planet such as this, anything that could be deemed a threat should be within range." He absently pushed the button on his scouter several times, then paused. He turned his head and stared off over the horizon. "Now that's strange."

"Something wrong?" Goku asked.

"There are two outliers that I seemed to have missed when I arrived here. A 300 and a 264," Raditz said.

Goku's brow furrowed in thought before he caught on. "Oh! That must be Kami and Mr. Popo. You probably missed them because they're all the way up on the lookout," he said.

"What is a Kami?" Raditz asked neutrally.

"He's the guardian of the earth. He trained me a few years ago up on the lookout." Goku whistled. "That's impressive though. It's range is even farther than mine, and I'm one of the best ki sensors on this planet. Hey, who else can you-"

"Hang on a second," Raditz interrupted. "What do you mean when you say you're a ki sensor? That's not really what is sounds like is it?"

Goku blinked. "Um...yea, it is. You mean you can't sense energy signals?"

Raditz shook his head. "Not without a scouter. That's not really a common ability, or even one that I've heard of." Others on this planet can do the same thing?"

"Not many," Goku admitted. "In fact I'm pretty sure I personally know everyone who can. I could be wrong though."

"Now that's interesting," Raditz commented. "I'm learning a lot more than I thought I would on this planet. I might as well send the boss this information too," he said as he pushed another button on his scouter. "Oh by the way, you might be interested to know that a 1500 just sprung up out of nowhere, which almost certainly means that your son just transformed," he said nonchalantly.

Goku face faulted. _Crap._

* * *

Piccolo watched in awe as the colossal beast that had been Goku's defenseless brat just a minute ago obliterated mountain after mountain with ease in a seemingly uncontrolled rampage. How could something like this happen? Was it his hybrid blood? Was there more to the saiyan race than he had previously thought? He didn't have much time to ponder this before the monster caught sight of him. It's eyes narrowed dangerously before it fired a blast from its mouth. Piccolo narrowly escaped the resulting explosion with a burst of speed.

"Alright fine! Let's go then," he shouted before firing his own energy blast at the oversized gorilla's face. It hit dead on, but had little effect on the beast, other than serving to make it more angry. It started charging towards him, but Piccolo flew around to it's back to attack from behind. His blast hit the beast in the back of the head this time, but again had little effect. He followed up by grabbing it by the tail, swinging it overhead, and smashing it onto the ground. There was surprisingly little resistance, and when Piccolo let go, the beast struggled to get up, as if it was recovering from a heavy blow, which seemed strange, seeing as his previous attacks hadn't achieved anything to this degree.

Now curious, Piccolo grabbed its tail again and pulled. The effect was instantaneous. It slumped back to the ground, unmoving, as if all its energy had been drained. Did such a monster really have such a profound weak point?

"Alright then, let's see how you handle this!" Piccolo formed a disk of ki in his free hand before launching it at the base of the beast's tail, which was cut cleanly from the rest of its body and fell to the ground. The beast's eyes widened before they nearly closed, as if it was suddenly overcome by an incredible fatigue. Suddenly, it started shrinking, and the fur covering its body receded, leaving bare skin it its wake. Piccolo slowly flew down to Gohan's prone form.

"It seems his tail is the key to the transformation. Come to think of it, Goku used to have one too…that's good to know," Piccolo said to no one in particular. Panting lightly, he looked up at the full moon. It had begun when Gohan had looked up at it. Would it happen again…? Most likely not. If he had turned back when his tail was cut off, that meant that it was dependent on the tail. So, problem solved.

"You're really more trouble than I bargained for kid," Piccolo grumbled. "I just hope this pays off."

* * *

Goku had been ready to fly off in Gohan's direction, but he calmed down when Raditz told him that the energy signal had dropped to a 1.5.

"There's a 339 in the same vicinity," Raditz said. "Most likely the Namekian, which means that he was the one who subdued your son. I fear another saiyan may be down a tail. What a shame. I wonder if it will grow back. He _is_ a child."

"Wait, what's a Namekian?" Goku asked in confusion.

"They're a race of intelligent lifeforms on the planet Namek," Raditz answered absently, still preoccupied with whether or not Gohan's tail would grow back.

_Well how about that._ Goku thought. _Kami and Piccolo are aliens_.

* * *

Krillin sighed tiredly as he, Tien, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu finally made their way in the direction of Karin's tower. It had been quite the ordeal finding them all and explaining the situation. At least Tien and Chiaotzu had been in the same place. When the three had been briefed about the circumstances, they had all agreed to the training with Kami. Not that such a thing needed much convincing to begin with.

They were all silent as they finally arrived on top of the lookout. They were all coming to a silent agreement. This would be one hell of an ordeal, but they'd take whatever was coming head on, now and in whatever future was waiting for them.

* * *

A/N: Power levels:

Gohan: 1.5

Chiaotzu: 144

Yamcha: 177

Krillin: 208

Tien: 250

Piccolo: 425

Goku: 491


	4. Other Worldly Training

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball.

* * *

Gohan panted heavily but let out a yell as he rushed at Piccolo and let loose a jump kick. The green man easily blocked the blow. Gohan rebounded off and jumped back towards him, but he phased out of sight. Gohan began looking around frantically.

"Where did he-?"

"Dodge!" The command was followed by a swift kick to the face which sent Gohan reeling. He rose to his feet unsteadily.

"You didn't dodge," Piccolo noted indifferently.

"Well, I couldn't see you," Gohan said with a pout.

"That's why you need to reach out with your senses and locate my ki. It should be easy. I'm not even suppressing it."

"Well maybe you should actually teach me how to do that," Gohan grumbled. He was rewarded for his suggestion by a pair of laser blasts courtesy of Piccolo's eyes.

"You're still not dodging," Piccolo observed. "Is there a reason why you're talking and not dodging?"

"I wasn't ready!" Gohan defended.

"And therein lies the problem. When an enemy has an advantage over you, are you going to grumble on about how the fight isn't fair, or are you going to find some way to win?"

"When the time comes, I'll find a way to win," Gohan said with determination. "But…" He looked at the ground. "I don't really think of you as an enemy…"

Piccolo growled. "I don't have time for this nonsense. The saiyans will be here in six months, and I will not be shown up by that fool Goku when that time comes. So until then, when you're not eating or resting, you'll be training with me. Get some rest for now. We'll pick up where we left off in an hour."

Gohan nodded gratefully and collapsed onto his back before looking up at the man who he had grown quite fond of over the months, the man who had technically kidnapped him.

"Mr. Piccolo? Are you really going to try to kill my Dad when the saiyans arrive?" Truth be told, he already knew the answer to that, but he wanted to see what his mentor would say. Piccolo looked at him in annoyance.

"Is that even a question?" he asked. Then he smirked. "Nothing personal kid. I just happen to hate your father."

Gohan hummed. "You know Mr. Piccolo, you're not a very good liar," he said, causing the smirk to fade from Piccolo's face.

"And what do you mean by that?"

"I mean you always try hide your real intentions and act like you're doing things for selfish reasons, but it's obvious that you do care. Why would you be training me if you were planning to kill my Dad? Every minute spent training me is a minute that could be spent getting stronger yourself. You can say it's just because I have potential, but you know I'm not going to help you kill my Dad or destroy humanity, so what are you really trying to accomplish?" As he spoke, the scowl on Piccolo's face grew, but Gohan continued on undeterred.

"For the longest time I asked myself that. But recently I think I've begun to figure it out. My Dad always said you're not really evil, just angry. And from what I've seen, I think he's right. And I don't believe for a second that I'm here as part of some evil plot. So...even if I'm not quite sure why you brought me here…" He smiled widely. "I just want to say that I'm grateful for what you've done for me."

Piccolo stared at him for a few seconds before he turned away. "You talk too much kid," he said before closing his eyes in meditation, indicating that the conversation was over. Ok, so the kid had seen right through his act. Sharp little bastard. At least he wasn't pushing to know why he was being trained though. What was he supposed to tell the damn brat? That he'd foreseen his own death? That for reasons he couldn't fathom, he was almost certain he was going to die after the arrival of the saiyans, who were supposedly coming in peace? That he didn't want to end the same way as his father? That he wanted to do one worthwhile thing with his cursed life before he went to the next dimension?" It wasn't exactly on the list of conversations he was planning to have in the next six months.

The next hour passed in silence before the two continued their sparring session, Piccolo only half paying attention.

* * *

Hovering above a rocky, barren wasteland where they had relocated, Goku flexed his arms after recovering from his latest training session with Raditz. They were currently taking a break, but he felt healed now.

"Kakarot." Goku looked up at his brother.

"Yo, what's up?"

"I thought I'd give you the latest update on your son's progress," Raditz said.

"Oh, yea! I can tell he's gotten stronger since I can feel him from here. What's he at now?"

"450. I must admit he's making impressive headway even though he was impeded by his lack of training at first. If he keeps this up he might break a thousand by the end of the year."

"Wow, what a guy, he's stronger than I was when you first arrived! I guess he has a lot of potential," Goku said in wonder.

"Either that or you've been slacking off all this time," Raditz remarked. Goku just shrugged in response. He'd long since gotten used to his brother's tendency for bluntness. When he had first commented on it, Raditz had laughed in his face. _If you think I'm straightforward, I can tell you're going to love Vegeta. _That's what he had said. Goku found himself looking forward to the saiyan's arrival even more these days. Not just because he wanted to know how strong he was, but also because he was curious as to what kind of person his brother would swear loyalty to.

"So how are the others doing?" Goku asked.

"The Namekian is now above 2000. As for your other associates, they're still at the place that you refer to as the lookout. Their powers are steadily rising, but they're all still below a thousand. I don't know why you insist on checking up on them. If they're indeed martial artists as you say, then they shouldn't be making such slow progress."

Goku frowned. "That hardly seems fair. If I didn't know about the advantages of being a saiyan, I wouldn't be making this much progress either. It's not their fault they're human. They just need to find a way to train that works for them."

Raditz rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Let's get back to it. I'd like to get you as close to my power level as possible in the next six months." Goku nodded, but as they got into their fighting stances, Raditz' scouter started beeping, alerting him to an approaching life form. They both looked off into the distance.

"It's coming from the direction of the lookout. That feels like...Krillin?"

"Krillin...which one was that again?" Raditz asked, not having learned names while he was here.

"You met him at Kame house. Short, bald, orange gi like mine."

"Oh yea, him. I wonder what he wants."

It was about 10 minutes before Krillin arrived, stopping in midair in front of them. "Hey, Goku! Long time no see, buddy! And uh, hi Raditz."

Raditz grunted what could be interpreted as a greeting, while Goku was much more enthusiastic. "Hiya Krillin, what's up? Did you need something?"

Krillin's expression sobered. "Actually, I have a message from Kami, Goku. He wants to meet with you."

Goku scratched his head. "Kami? But I'm in the middle of training. Did he say what it was about?"

"He wasn't specific, but he said he had an idea about how to enhance your training." He snuck a glance over at Raditz. "He said your brother can come along, but that his plan would only work for you."

Goku briefly wondered what Kami might have left to teach him, but decided he should definitely hear his old master out. He turned to Raditz.

"Well, I'm going to go see what his is about. Wanna come? You can keep training at the lookout if you want."

Raditz thought about it. He was very skeptical about someone on this planet being able to offer better training them him, but he was also a bit curious. After a moment he shrugged.

"Great!" Let's go then. It'll be nice to see Kami and Mr. Popo again."

* * *

When they arrived at the lookout, Kami was waiting for them along with Mr. Popo. Kami explained that what he was offering Goku wasn't ordinary training. Apparently, he was going to be training in a place called other world, and the only reason he could was because Kami had special privileges as Earth's guardian, and Goku had special privileges for having committed his life to protecting the innocent and having saved the earth multiple times. When he mentioned that Raditz couldn't go, the saiyan just shrugged and told Goku that he better get a lot stronger from this before flying off.

Excitement welled up inside Goku as he put his arm on Kami's shoulder and got ready to depart for the place where everyone went when they died. As the two vanished, Krillin wondered what his best friend had gotten himself into this time.

* * *

A/N: Power levels:

Chiaotzu: 400

Gohan: 450

Yamcha: 710

Krillin: 840

Tien: 980

Piccolo: 2200

Goku: 17,000


	5. First Contact

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball.

* * *

_Six months later…_

"You've learned everything I've had to teach you, and more," King Kai commented as he stood across from Goku. He'd been surprised when this saiyan from earth had first shown up on his planet, already stronger than him and asking for training. He hadn't bothered with baby steps, seeing as he hadn't even noticed the intense gravity upon setting foot on his home. So he'd skipped right to teaching him the Kaioken and Spirit Bomb. For the remainder of their time, he had been training himself to the limits to enhance his own ki.

"Thanks so much, King Kai!" Goku said cheerfully. "You said the saiyans would arrive tomorrow, right? Are you going to teleport me back to earth now?"

"I can't teleport," King Kai replied curtly. "With the level you're at now, it will only take you a few hours to cross Snakeway again."

"Oh, well that's fine, I guess," the saiyan accepted. "Thanks again for your help!" he said with a smile before jumping off the planet and flying over Snakeway again.

* * *

When Kami teleported Goku back to the Lookout, the saiyan quickly caught sight of Tien, Chiaotzu, Krillin, and Yamcha.

"Hey guys! Long time no see!" he shouted, as the four turned towards him.

"Goku!" Krillin exclaimed, clearly astonished. "Is that really you? Man, you've gotten much stronger!"

"I can say the same to all of you," he said with a grin. "Although, how did you do it? I was able to progress so much because I'm a saiyan and all...but you guys have made some serious progress too!"

"Well, we kind of spent some time in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber," Krillin admitted with a shiver.

Goku's eyes widened. "You went in _there_? Damn, that's extreme. I remember trying that when I was a kid, and I barely survived. You really wanted to improve, huh?"

Tien sighed. "Well, that's not the whole story. Kami was convinced it was necessary. He really thinks we'll need this to face whatever's coming."

Goku frowned. "Does he have an idea what that might be? I trained with my brother for months, and I'm convinced he has no ill intentions. I'd hate to think that the other two mean trouble."

Yamcha shrugged. "While I think you're putting too much faith in those aliens, I honestly don't know. Kami's vision was really vague. He isn't sure exactly what's coming, just that it's going to be rough."

"Well, all the better for it I say. If you guys all spent a year in there, you should be able to handle it."

Krillin snickered. "Actually, not all of us are done. Two of us are taking their turns right now. Though they should be out within the hour."

"Huh?" Goku said dumbly as he did a head count. "Who…?"

"Your son and his new favorite teacher," Tien said with a roll of his eyes.

"What!? Gohan is in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber!? Oh man, Chi-chi's gonna kill me…and who is this favorite teacher of his? You don't mean Piccolo do you?"

"That's the one," Krillin confirmed. "I was surprised that he even agreed to the training, what with Kami suggesting it and all, but he seemed pretty agreeable. Almost...subdued." His brow furrowed. "It's like he and Kami had this silent understanding. I'm not sure what to make of it."

Goku hummed. "That could have something to do with Kami's vision. It's possible Piccolo caught a glimpse as well. So...he hasn't been too rough on Gohan, has he?"

Yamcha winced. "I wish I could reassure you on that one, buddy. The kid looked a few years older when we saw him again. I don't know what Piccolo did, but it had to have been brutal. The crazy part was the tough little kid didn't even complain. In fact, he seemed to have taken a _liking_ to that crazy bastard."

"Well, who knows. People can change, after all. We'll see how things go," Goku said optimistically. He looked over the horizon, sensing a familiar ki. "Well, I should really go find Raditz. He insisted that I be there when his friends show up."

* * *

Vegeta sat in his pod with his eyes closed as he conversed telepathically with his traveling companion.

_I have to say, that planet was exceptionally dull. What did you say that rock was called?_

_Arlia, _Nappa responded across their link. _And I have to agree. To say nothing of the fascist empire we overthrew, the food was disgusting. When you first laid eyes on that feast they prepared for us, I thought you were going to lose it and blow the planet to ashes. _

Vegeta snorted. _I haven't eaten a decent meal in a year. Artificial nourishment appals me, and I wasn't about to settle for the mush they considered sustenance. I just hope earth has something tolerable. _

_Well, you'll find out soon. We're arriving in less than a minute. _

Vegeta opened his eyes and smirked as the first sight of a lively blue planet came into view.

* * *

As Piccolo and Gohan exited the Room of Spirit and Time, they both tensed.

"Gohan, do you feel that?" Piccolo asked, eyes narrowed.

"Yes," the half-saiyan replied. "It looks like we're right on time, huh?"

* * *

It was a lively afternoon in East City. Though the residents were generally not as technologically advanced as their West counterparts (it was hard to be when the Briefs lived in the West), their city was still blessed with a thriving urban life, low crime rates, and their own fair share of innovation. But today, their city's legacy would grow to rival that of West City, to the point of becoming one of the biggest tourist attractions on earth.

For it was here that the legend began.

It started off as a nervous whisper, a few citizens glancing up curiously, children chattering excitedly as they pointed at the sky, local law enforcement tensing, as if awaiting an oncoming disaster.

When the sky falling objects descended into the lower atmosphere, they began rapidly decelerating, and just as the tension broke and the nervous whispering turned to screams of panic, they finally came to a complete stop, just short of crashing into one of the city's tallest skyscrapers. Slowly, they continued into a more controlled descent into a rather popular shopping plaza, and came to rest perfectly, much to everyone's amazement, in two adjacent parking spots.

The city was nearly silent, as impossible as the residents knew that to be with their current population. They could do nothing but stare in bewilderment, fear, and curiosity as one of the spherical ships opened, and a tall bald man with a tail and some sort of strange armor stepped out.

"Close call there, Boss. This planet is more densely populated than I thought. We entered the atmosphere right over a civilian settlement."

They continued to stare in wonder as the other door opened, and a noticeably shorter man with a spiky flame of black hair emerged, with a tail to match, and dressed in the same attire.

"It's of no consequence," the second extraterrestrial stated in a bored tone, as sirens began to sound in the shopping plaza. "We pulled up in time, didn't we?"

"Um…" one brave citizen came a bit closer, and mustered up the courage to speak for the entire crowd that had gathered around. "So, it kind of seems obvious, but I have to ask. Are you guys...well, you know…?"

Vegeta's eyes snapped toward the man, who reeled back and quite comically fell backwards onto the pavement, shaking. The crowd was deathly silent.

"Well?" Vegeta asked impatiently, causing the man's eyes to widen.

"Well?" he repeated dumbly, causing the prince's eyes to narrow.

"Well _what_? You never finished your damn question, so don't expect me to know what the fuck you were about to say, you spineless earthling."

The crowd broke out into gasps, followed by awed whispers as Vegeta unintentionally answered the unasked, and heavily implied, some privately thought, question. As the chattering continued, Vegeta grew visibly annoyed. "Cease your incessant gossiping at once," he said at a normal volume, though for the reaction he got, he might as well have shouted. The crowd was instantly silent again.

Suddenly a loud voice broke the silence. "You two! Down on your knees, now!" an East City police officer shouted, startling the crowd, as he pointed a gun at the two aliens."

Vegeta's eyes slowly turned toward the stiff officer, but he made no move to react, whether to comply or otherwise. Next to him, Nappa sighed. _Here we go. _

"Hey, did you hear me? I said down on the ground, now!"

When Vegeta spoke again, his tone was perfectly neutral, but his voice had dropped to a noticeably quieter drawl. "Are you suggesting that I bow, earthling?"

The question caught the officer off guard. "Uh...well...not exactly, I was just—" Before he could continue, Nappa stepped between the two.

"Aw, I'm sure that's not what he meant, Vegeta! It's probably just some weird earth custom. You remember those bizarre traditions they had on that planet Aronia, don't you?"

"No."

"Oh...well, the point is, I'm sure he didn't mean it that way. So let's not start anything, ok? Raditz said Kakarot was really fond of this planet and its inhabitants, and we're trying to change his mind, remember?"

Vegeta turned away slightly. "Whatever. Let's get going."

"Uh...wait, I can't just let you guys go…" the officer said in a shaky voice. He wouldn't be doing his job if he just let aliens wander the city without knowing a single thing about their intentions, would he?

Nappa turned back toward the officer, eying him speculatively. "And who are you to stop us?" he asked blandly.

The man turned red. "I'm with the East City Police Department! This is my job!" he said, as the gun shook in his hands.

Nappa raised an eyebrow, before reaching up to his scouter and pressing the button, causing the man to tense up. He frowned. _This guy's power level isn't anything above average from what I've seen so far. _

"You're the local law enforcement?" he asked skeptically. At the man's indignant nod, he snorted. "Your culture is so strange. Do they let just anyone be an enforcer here? Without that thing you're pointing at me, any of the civilians here with half a brain would have a good shot at overpowering you."

A few snickers actually broke out amongst the onlookers.

"But, at least your race is advanced enough to have law enforcement in the first place. Fine, what are our charges?" he asked.

The man blinked. "Ch–Charges?" he repeated.

"Well, yeah. I assume the reason you're pushing your luck is because we broke some obscure law that we didn't even know about upon landing here. So which laws did we break?"

"Well...no, I...actually, uh," he man stammered helplessly, completely blindsided as he considered the fact that these two hadn't broken any laws. Hell, they had even parked between the lines. At best he could ticket them for unregistered vehicles, through currency they didn't use, or call someone to tow their completely unfamiliar and possibly dangerous space pods.

Nappa's face fell as he appeared to come to a realization, though inwardly he was laughing his ass off. "Oh. I get it. It's just because we're not from around here."

"What?" the man squeaked. No, that was discrimination! It went against every code of conduct he had sworn himself to! Dammit, he could get fired for this! Not only that, but he was actually starting to feel guilty for it too!

"Well, I see how it is. I suppose even though we haven't done anything wrong, we're just not trustworthy, since we're foreigners and all," Nappa continued, with a resigned air about him.

"Hey, you jackass!" a woman from the crowd shouted at the stunned officer. "What the hell do you think you're doing!? Don't you know this is first contact!? You're giving us humans a bad name!" The crowd broke out into shouts of agreement as Nappa started laughing hysterically across his telepathic link with Vegeta, who for once, didn't seem to mind as he watched the proceedings with what could _almost_ be interpreted as amusement.

The officer shrank away as the crowd began throwing things, figuring he was way out of his depth at the moment.

Vegeta gave Nappa a dry look as they slipped away. "You know, I can almost respect you when you do shit like that."

Nappa smirked. "Hey, you know I used to be a bit of a politician. That shit never leaves you."

"Wait up, you two!" a voice called, causing them to turn around and come face to face with the woman who had just helped galvanize the crowd. "This is your first time to earth, right? Let me show you around! I know all the best places around here. You don't have any money yet, right? I can treat you to a meal if you want.

Volcanos seemed to erupt in sync inside their stomachs as they both gave her their undivided attention. "Lead the way," Nappa said with a grin. As they walked, he continued talking. "Hey, you sure you wanna get involved with us? Either one of us would be considered a planetary threat if your leaders found out what we could do."

"Eh, been there, done that. My love interest has three eyes and I've hung out with a talking pig for for crying out loud. I won't judge you for having tails. Actually, a good friend of mine used to have a tail like yours."

That caught their attention.

Nappa grinned. "You know, I don't think we could ask for a better tour guide. What did you say your name was, lady?"

"Oh, me? The name's Launch. Remember it. And what do I call you guys?"

Paying no mind to the numerous smart phones that were out taking audio and video of them as they walked, they both answered.

"Nappa."

"Vegeta."

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. Hope you guys enjoyed it. Until next time.


	6. Wanna Spar?

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball.

* * *

"Hey, so I've been meaning to ask. What planet are you guys from?" Launch asked.

Vegeta and Nappa shared a short glance, in which Vegeta shrugged in indifference.

"Planet Vegeta," Nappa replied, almost curtly.

Launch blinked. "Didn't you say your name was Vegeta?" she asked, turning to the saiyan prince.

"Yes," he responded, without elaborating.

Launch hummed. "Well, that's weird," she said, before thankfully dropping the issue. "Anyway, this place is all you can eat per person. I already paid for all of us, so dig in."

The two saiyans shared another glance, and this time, both smirked.

That restaurant was forced to go out of business the next day.

"Holy crap, you two eat a shit ton," Launch commented. "I'm pretty sure that place was out of food. Alright, where to next…"

"Actually, we were wondering about something you said earlier," Nappa spoke up, now that their stomachs were full. "You said you met someone with a tail, like ours, right?"

Launch blinked. "You mean Goku? Why, do you guys know him?"

"Not directly. But we're looking for him."

Launch thought for a moment. "Honestly, I haven't seen him in years. But if you want to find him, the best place to start looking would be Kame House…"

"Well, that leaves Plan A," Nappa said. "Seek out the highest power levels. We're bound to find him eventually."

"There's no need," Vegeta said, with his eyes closed. "They're all on their way." Nappa pressed a button on his scouter and looked towards the sky in amazement.

"Those power levels...I have to say, this is unexpected."

"Kakarot isn't the only one who's been training it seems," Vegeta said nonchalantly. "They've all been preparing for our arrival."

For the second time that day, awed whispers broke out among the citizens of East City, who had still been marveling over the arrival of the aliens. It wasn't long before 8 figures were hovering over the city. To everyone's amazement, the two aliens, who were now under surveillance from the military, rose through the air to meet them.

"Thanks for showing us around, little lady!" Nappa shouted as he flew off the ground to greet his fellow warrior. "It's been a while, Raditz," Nappa he said. "Mission report?"

Raditz, who was standing beside Goku and Gohan, nodded at Nappa in acknowledgement. "Kakarot has made significant progress over the past year. As he's been training independently from me for the past six months, I can't say to what extent. But I'm confident he could hold his own against me now."

"That's better than I expected," Nappa said. "You've made a lot of progress yourself, actually. Your power level has risen by 4,000."

"Thanks in part to our spars," Raditz replied, before turning to Goku, who flew forward to introduce himself.

"Hey, the name's Goku! Nice to meet you!" he shouted.

Nappa chuckled, before extending a hand. "Nappa," he responded. "Former general of the saiyan army and advisor to King Vegeta." The two shook hands, and Nappa frowned. "Goku, huh? Weird name. I'm just going to keep calling you by your saiyan name, to be honest."

Goku laughed. "That's fine. Raditz already does that, so I've gotten used to it." Nappa simply nodded, and then turned back towards his companion, who had been silent up until now.

"And this...is Prince Vegeta. Last heir to the saiyan royal bloodline, and our current leader."

Goku and Vegeta's eyes met, and a silent exchange seemed to pass between the two. For a moment the two just stared at each other assessingly. After a moment, Goku broke the staring contest, breaking out into a friendly smile.

"Nice to meet you, Vegeta!"

The prince just scoffed, causing Nappa to burst out laughing. The saiyan they were trying to recruit evidently had no shred of tact whatsoever.

He'd fit in just fine.

"As much as this reunion is heartwarming," Piccolo spoke up, "Perhaps we should continue this conversation elsewhere. You two have made quite the scene." Nappa smirked, knowing that the Namekian was referring to the arrival of earth's military.

"Yeah, we noticed. It's still not the worst welcome we've ever gotten, all things considered."

"The earth's government is not very accepting of anything that could potentially be a threat," Piccolo stated.

"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Nappa said, still smirking. Piccolo rolled his eyes. He had already come to terms with the fact that he was an alien. No one had outright told him, but it had been heavily implied.

"As it happens, I know a few wastelands where we won't be disturbed," he said, ignoring the jab.

With that, the 10 warriors flew off into the distance, much to the dismay of the government agents who had been attempting to track their movements.

* * *

At the speed they were going, it took a while before they arrived at a barren rocky wasteland which, true to Piccolo's word, was completely deserted.

Krillin chuckled nervously. "You know, with this setup, it's almost like we're gearing up to fight or something."

Goku's brow furrowed. "Aren't we?" he asked, causing Krillin to fall silent.

Yamcha looked scandalized. "Wait, _are_ we?"

"Well, gee, I assumed we were," Goku said, rubbing his head. "We've been training all this time...I wanted to see how strong they were!"

"Well, we're clearly not on the same page then," Yamcha replied. "I myself have been training for whatever threat is approaching earth. And assuming that's _not_ the saiyans, I have no reason to fight people who feel like an endless well of ki."

Nappa suddenly started laughing. "See that everyone? That's the difference between a saiyan and a human. Humans fight when they have to. Saiyans fight when they _want_ to. And as it happens, I've been in a cramped pod for the last year, so I'm just itching for some action! Bring it on, Kakarot!"

"Wait, Nappa." Vegeta's voice cut him off as he looked at the prince questioningly. A smirk had appeared on Vegeta's face. "I get this one."

Nappa blinked. "Really?" He looked back at Goku as is if trying to find something he'd missed. "He doesn't seem _that_ good."

"I guess we'll find out," Vegeta said vaguely. "Get ready, Kakarot."

Goku looked elated. "Sure! I've heard a lot about you from Raditz, but I didn't think I'd get to fight you right off the bat!" He got into a ready stance as the rest of the warriors backed up to give them room.

Nappa shrugged. "Alright then. Raditz, wanna spar?" The long haired saiyan nodded as the two flew a short distance away.

"Vegeta's power level is much lower than normal," Raditz commented. "I assume you two both learned to sense and suppress ki on your way here?"

"Of course," Nappa replied. "Once we knew it was possible, it was only a matter of time. We just practiced by focusing on each other's ki. There wasn't much else to do." Raditz nodded in understanding as they both got into ready stances.

Meanwhile, Vegeta and Goku were staring each other down, waiting for each other to make the first move. By an unspoken agreement, they both charged forward at the same time, their fists meeting in the middle.

"You're suppressing your power so that it matches mine," Goku observed as they tried to push each other back. "Any reason for that?"

"Well, you aren't going all out either," Vegeta replied. "So while we're still getting warmed up, I thought I'd teach you your first lesson. Power levels aren't everything." With that, the two flew into a series of punches, kicks, blocks, and parries until they were blurring back and forth through the air. To Goku's astonishment, he felt himself starting to get pushed back. But his senses told him that Vegeta's ki was still on level with his own, which only meant one thing.

_This guy...his fighting experience outclasses mine._

He flew backwards to catch his breath, and to his slight annoyance, Vegeta let him, silently waiting for him to engage again, which he soon did. This time, he fared better, but his opponent still had the edge. It was a humbling experience. He already knew there were fighters out there whose power outclassed his, but to think that this guy was beating him through superior skill alone? He suddenly got a sense of the sheer amount of combat that Vegeta must have seen in his life to be able to accomplish that kind of feat. Like himself, the saiyan was a natural, but Vegeta fought like a well oiled machine. He was the pinnacle of efficiency. Every movement, breath, and second invested had a distinct purpose for the prince to fulfill, and fulfill it he did. The guy was ruthless. He remembered his training with Kami, in which he had learned to fight like that. He could only assume that the others had undergone the same training. But his current opponent brought it to a new level. It was as if it was as natural as breathing to him, but Goku could tell there was conscious thought behind every maneuver as his defenses were systematically dismantled. It was as if he was using a style that specifically countered his own. Most experienced martial artists settled into a fighting style that suited them, and then learned to fight that way without thinking about it. But for someone to swiftly and consciously adapt like that on the battlefield, with little to no reliance on his own preference of style...it went beyond natural talent.

This guy was a genius.

Goku gasped as another attack broke through his guard, this one aimed at his solar plexus. He was completely open as regained his breath, but his opponent made no move to capitalize on it.

"Are we done getting warmed up?" the saiyan prince asked instead, arms crossed and tail swishing back and forth behind him.

Goku smirked at him. "You know what? I think we are. _Kaioken times two_!"

Vegeta looked on with interest as red ki erupted around Goku and his power doubled.

"I knew you were holding back, but to think you were only using half your strength...you've actually surpassed both Raditz and Nappa."

The two saiyans who were watching were both rightfully shocked hearing this. They had both been undergoing intense training for years in order to reach their current strength. Although Vegeta kept calm on the outside, inwardly he was slightly unnerved. That was an ungodly amount of progress for a single year.

Goku rubbed his head sheepishly, the red ki flowing around him all the while. "Well, that's not the whole story. What I was using before was actually my maximum in my normal state. But in other world I learned a technique that lets me multiply my power passed its normal limits."

Vegeta's eyes narrowed. "There must be drawbacks to a technique like that."

Goku just smirked. "I guess you'll have to find out for yourself."

Vegeta, taking that as a challenge, raised his power to match Goku's again, and charged forward. Goku was surprised as once again he was once again hardpressed to fend off the blows.

_Jeez, how much power is this guy holding back?_

After being sent hurtling through the sky by a staggering punch to the face, Goku raised the stakes again. "_Kaioken times three!_"

Vegeta's eyes widened slightly as he felt Goku's ki surge again.

_Fuck, how much power is this fool holding back?_

Once again, he preemptively raised his power level to match Goku's. He was surprised to see that rather than charging straight away, the other was being courteous enough to let him power up as well. That either meant that he was confident his maximum power was significantly higher, or that he wanted to fight Vegeta at his maximum regardless.

He was willing to bet on the latter. What a fool. He could respect that sentiment, but it was foolish nonetheless. Were this a true battle to the death, it would be downright stupid and subsequently cost Kakarot his life. Deciding to teach the other saiyan that lesson early, he instead rose his power to near its maximum.

Goku's face portrayed his shock at the turn of events as Vegeta rushed forward, not giving him any time to raise his own ki in turn. The first hit was barely deflected on instinct, but the second nailed him right in front of his heart, causing him to stiffen, and then fall as Vegeta withdrew his arm and his body slackened.

The surrounding fighters, most of whom had been cheering for Goku, with the exception of Nappa and Raditz who were back to focusing on their own spar, stiffened as they watched their comrade tumble through the air. Yamcha nearly rushed forward to catch him, but was blocked off by Piccolo. "Don't interfere," the green man said gruffly, much to everyone's worry.

"The Namekian's right," Nappa's spoke up. "He's not done yet." True to the saiyan's word, Goku clenched his fists and straightened out of his fall, red ki erupting out of him once again as he took in a few heavy breaths. Vegeta calmly observed him.

"So, are we done yet?" the saiyan called. "I know you can't keep that technique up forever!"

Goku grimaced, knowing he was right. Although he could keep up a times two Kaioken indefinitely, the times three was a different story. He needed more training for that one. Still, he wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Heh, that was way too short. I'm just getting started Vegeta!" he shouted, causing the prince to raise an eyebrow.

"Is that so? You seem confident for someone whose heart skipped a few beats after that last hit."

"It hurt, I'll give you that. But I've been in much worse situations before," Goku said with a smirk.

"Really? Then I guess you won't mind if I test that resolve, will you?" Vegeta asked with a chilling smile as he cupped his hands at his sides. Goku's heart nearly skipped another couple beats as he realized what the other saiyan was doing, and what direction he just _happened_ to be facing while doing it. "If you don't stop this energy blast, I doubt the human race will survive the fallout!"

The surrounding fighters save for Nappa and Raditz all stiffened again upon hearing the proclamation. Were the saiyans the threat they'd been warned about after all?

"Hah, you're bluffing!" Goku shouted. "You were on your own in East City for over an hour and you didn't kill a single person!"

"Killing without reason is childish and beneath someone of my stature," Vegeta replied. "But there's no issue, is there? If you're really just getting started, then you'll be able to stop my Galick Gun no problem!"

Goku sweatdropped. _Crap._ _He's serious. _Quickly cupping his own hands at this side, he started charging up his first mentor's signature move. "_Ka—me—ha—me—_"

"_Galick Gun, fire!_" Vegeta shouted as he unleashed an enormous wave of purple energy from his palms. Goku's eyes narrowed as the blast descended upon him, and subsequently, his home.

"_HA!_" He unleashed a blue energy wave just as large, and the two met in the middle, producing a massive shockwave and pushing all of their observers back, without exception. It soon became apparent that Vegeta was winning out as the purple beam pushed the blue one back. Straining under the raw force, Goku realized that if he didn't overcome this attack, the humanity could very well pay the price, whether the prince intended it or not. The thought spurred him on, and his own self preservation was momentarily forgotten. "_Kaioken times four!_"

His power surged once again, and the blue beam quickly triumphed. Vegeta looked on with a slightly awed grin as both energy waves raced upwards to greet him. "Incredible," he whispered, right before the blast consumed him.

The other warriors all covered their eyes to protect against the blinding light. Raditz looked a bit concerned. "Hey, is he gonna be alright? I know he wanted to force my brother to use his full power, but that was a bit much."

"He'll be fine," Nappa said. "He was able to power up to maximum at the last second. I'm sure you felt it."

"Yeah, but that blast was still pretty intense. I doubt he'll get out completely unscathed," Raditz pointed out.

"Do we _ever_ get out completely unscathed?" Nappa countered. Raditz had no answer to that.

As Goku's body began trembling, he let the kaioken subside, and took a deep breath.

He'd lost.

As the smoke cleared, Vegeta's form was revealed again. His armor was broken in a few places and he was covered in burn marks, but he was still fit to continue.

"Shall we call this match, Kakarot?" he taunted as he floated down to level with the other saiyan.

"Goku smiled weakly. "I'm not...done yet," he panted.

"Yes you are," Vegeta retorted, before appearing behind him and chopping in the back of the neck. Goku, in his weakened state, lost consciousness, and Vegeta caught him by his collar. He looked up at Nappa and Raditz, gesturing for them to follow, before flying back to ground level.

* * *

A/N: Power levels:

Goku: 25,000

Raditz: 28,000

Nappa: 45,000

Goku (Kaioken x4): 100,000

Vegeta (Testing Goku): 100,000

Vegeta (Maximum): ?


	7. Invasion

Disclaimer: I don't own Dragonball.

* * *

The rest of the group was slightly tense as the three saiyans floated down with an unconscious Goku. Raditz rolled his eyes and asked if they had any of those Senzu Beans. Krillin quickly placed one in Goku's mouth before hesitantly offering one to Vegeta, who took it with a slight scoff.

Goku instinctively swallowed and soon sat up. It only took a moment for him to realize what happened. "Damn, I lost," he said, rubbing his head sheepishly.

Raditz snorted. "Did you think it would be that easy? Vegeta is our leader for a reason." He paused. "Still...you did very well, brother. I'm impressed."

"Thanks Raditz! But it was partially because you helped me train."

"Only partially," Raditz confirmed. "But that technique you've learned was not one that I even know of. Was it something you learned in Otherworld?"

"Yeah, King Kai taught me! It's really useful, but I still can't go beyond the Times Three Kaioken without damaging my body."

"Now that's interesting," Nappa commented. "Hey, Vegeta, I wonder how it would hold up against your Galicken?" Vegeta's only response was to shoot him an annoyed look.

"It's unwise to discuss our trump cards in the company of others, Nappa," he rebuked.

Nappa shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. My bad." _Paranoid as always…_

"I'm more curious about the threat you mentioned," Raditz stated. "What made you think enemies were approaching the planet?"

"Well, that was what Kami said. He's the guardian of earth, so sometimes he gets visions regarding its wellbeing. He was convinced we'd have to train for some threat that looming over the horizon, but he didn't know what it was."

"Not very helpful," Nappa muttered. "Unless…" He turned to Vegeta with a frown. "Do you think?"

Vegeta was as emotionless as ever, but Piccolo could detect the tension in his posture as he pondered what he'd been told.

"If it's really them, we'll be prepared," he said with a note of finality. Immediately, Nappa and Raditz adopted grim expressions.

"Looks like vacation is over," Nappa said gruffly.

"Wait, do you guys have some idea of what's coming?" Krillin asked.

Raditz turned to Goku. "Kakarot, you remember the enemy I mentioned, right? The one we've been evading, and came to recruit you in the fight against?"

Goku nodded. "Yeah, but I'm still not going to leave earth. At least not permanently. I can help you guys out since we're tight and everything, but after that it's right back home to my family."

Raditz decided to ignore his naivety at the moment.

"We'll take you up on that offer. But in the meantime, we'll need to help you protect this little mudball. Am I right to assume this planet doesn't get visitors often?"

"I'd say that's accurate," Yamcha supplied. "The last one before you guys was Goku."

"Than the fact that your guardian sensed a threat approaching now likely isn't a coincidence," Vegeta stated. "Most likely, whoever is coming is after the three of us."

"And we think we know who it is," Nappa added.

"Do you think you can handle them? Who are these guys exactly?" Tien asked.

"They call themselves the Ginyu Force," Vegeta said. "They're an elite fighting force that works under Freeza."

"Freeza? Is that the guy you guys have been at war with?" Goku asked.

Vegeta's expression darkened. "Yes...as well as the one I will kill, without fail." Not even noticing the effect his intimidating words had on some the Z-Warriors, he continued. "Freeza is the heir to a galactic empire run by the Cold Family. Reaching out to the stars using the Planet Trade Organization, they rule over most of the known galaxy with an iron fist. Years ago, we managed to escape his sphere of influence, but it's possible that on our way here—"

Suddenly, Piccolo gasped. "They're here!" he shouted, casting his gaze up to the sky.

Vegeta glared at being interrupted, but made use of his newfound ability to confirm the Namekians words. Biting back a curse, he began to track their trajectory based on which way their ki was moving. He quickly signalled Nappa and Raditz before taking off in a seemingly random direction, which they didn't even hesitate to follow in. The others looked on in confusion, before Piccolo flew off as well, and Goku signalled for the rest to follow.

* * *

When they arrived at the crash site, the members of the group native to earth were relieved to see that the newcomers had landed in an unpopulated area. They doubted that these invaders would be as_ relatively_ discreet as the saiyans had been.

Said saiyans were now having a standoff with five bizarre looking aliens. It wasn't their looks that got their attention though. Their powers were simply huge, easily rivaling those of the saiyans. As Vegeta stared stoically at a smirking horned, purple alien who looked to be the leader, Goku broke the staredown.

"Hey, so you guys are those Ginyu guys, right?"

Captain Ginyu regarded him with obvious amusement. "So you told the locals about us, Vegeta? I hope you don't think it will make a difference in your fate, or theirs. Perhaps it didn't appeal to your sense of honor to let us purge the planet without at least warning someone we were coming?"

Vegeta was stonily silent as his eyes flickered across each face of the invaders. His silent observation seemed to unnerve one of them, a small green one who, on second notice, had a significantly lower power level than the others. Piccolo silently plotted to take that one out first.

Eventually, Vegeta smiled coldly. "You know, I was a bit worried about this encounter. The last time we escaped you fools, we would not have fared very well in a straight up fight. As much as it didn't appeal to my _sense of honor, _we were forced to flee. But now...I wonder how you five will fare against the three of us."

In response to his words, Nappa and Raditz both got into fighting stances, causing Ginyu to burst out laughing.

"Oh, this is adorable! The little monkeys have grown fangs, after all this time! Do you dirty saiyans really think whatever pultry improvements you've made to your feeble techniques will be enough to survive this encounter?"

"I guess we'll just have to see, won't we?" Nappa replied with a confident smirk.

"Such confidence," Ginyu mused, still smiling. "I'll enjoy destroying _that _along with this planet."

"Since you seem fairly confident as well, would you care to make this interesting?" Raditz asked.

"What, the stakes aren't high enough for you?" one of the others spoke up, a tall blue one. "You're already gambling your lives away. What more could you suicidal saiyans possibly ask for?"

Vegeta caught Raditz' eye, and a silent conversation seemed to pass between the two. Vegeta finally nodded.

"One on one fights," Raditz stated, catching the Ginyu Force's interest. "We will both put forth one opponent at a time. Once one is finished, the next will come forth, and so on. If we lose all our members first, you're free to purge this planet. If you do, well..." he chuckled. "Then that's that, isn't it?"

"An intriguing offer," Ginyu stated, despite the short red one next to him narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "But if we're going to make a game of this, I should point out that your side does have more players." He nodded at the earthlings.

"I wouldn't worry," Vegeta spoke up. "They won't be taking part."

This ignited shocked protests from Tien, Krillin, and Yamcha, as well as a growl from Piccolo. Vegeta ignored them all and turned to Goku. "I hope you don't mind, Kakarot. But seeing as it's our fault they're here, it's only right that we take care of this."

Goku hummed. "Well, I really wanted to fight, but I suppose I'll sit this one out if you promise me a rematch later!"

Vegeta smirked. "Then we're in agreement."

"Are you sure about this Goku?" Tien asked. "These guys aren't pushovers."

"It'll be fine, Tien," Goku assured. "Let's just see what those three can do for now, alright?" Tien reluctantly nodded and stood back, along with the rest of the group, minus the three saiyans.

"Of course, the moment one not fighting should interfere, this game is over," Ginyu warned smugly.

"Naturally," Vegeta said with a smirk. "Who's up first on your end?"

"Ah, give us a second, would you?" Ginyu said. The Ginyus decided to play a five member game of rock paper scissors, much to everyone's bemusement, though Vegeta simply rolled his eyes and waited. The short green one was eventually chosen to fight.

"Right. Raditz, you're first," Vegeta commanded. The long haired saiyan strode forward without a word.

Guldo nervously hit the button on the scouter, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the number it displayed.

"1200?" Burter burst out laughing. "Is this some kind of joke Vegeta? You may as well send out a Saibaman to fight!"

"Talking shit is easy," Raditz said, unfazed. "I assume that's why you do a lot of it. Are we ready to start?"

Burter growled, but Ginyu held a hand up to silence him. "Suicidal may have been an accurate description. I don't know what you're playing at Vegeta, but seeing as you won't live long to regret this…yes, I think we're ready."

"Very well," Vegeta said, as Guldo got into a ready position. "Go."

The only sign of what was coming was a warning beep from the scouters, before Raditz appeared, arm outstretched, behind Guldo, and the latter's head fell from his body, landing on the ground with a dull thud. His body soon toppled over as well.

The Ginyus looked on with wide eyes, while the earthlings weren't particularly surprised. It had been fairly easy to tell that Raditz had been suppressing his ki, but the enemy's scouters seemingly couldn't detect it. They all took note of that advantage.

"I suppose that ends round one," Vegeta said emotionlessly.

"What—what just happened?" Recoome stuttered. "His power level is still at 1200! How could he have done that?"

"Guldo let his guard down. That fool!" Burther yelled. Jeice had his teeth grit.

Captain Ginyu's face was stony as he observed the results of the fight. "They can hide their power levels," he said finally, shocking his remaining three men, who all looked back at Raditz.

The long haired saiyan grinned smugly as he stopped suppressing his ki, causing a series of beeps to come from their scouters.

"20,000!? That's Impossible! No saiyan is that strong!" Burter exclaimed.

Piccolo smirked as he observed the events unfolding. Raditz' ki still wasn't maxed. He was still leading the enemy to believe they were weaker than they really were. Loathe though he was to admit it, these saiyans had their strategy down to an art.

Ginyu sighed. "Recoome, you're up next," he commanded. The giant red haired man snarled and stomped forward.

"Alright then. We'll be making a substitution now," Vegeta informed. "Nappa, it's your turn."

"What!? That wasn't part of the rules! You said we keep going until we're finished!" Jeice shouted.

"I said no such thing. I said that once one of us is finished, another takes their place. I never said we couldn't switch out before that."

Jeice growled. "Captain, I'm against this. These saiyans are trying to play us for fools!"

"Shut up, Jeice," Ginyu said, effectively silencing his second in command. "We may have lost Guldo, but he was by far the weakest among us. There is still no possibility of us losing this fight. If any of us are weak enough to lose to these saiyans, that just means we need new members!"

Ginyu's three followers swallowed heavily hearing this, while Nappa inwardly cheered. Ginyu was getting annoyed, and it was causing him to think less clearly. If they kept this up, they could win this without a single casualty.

"Go, Nappa," Vegeta commanded, eliciting a nod from the tall saiyan.

Recoome hit the button on his scouter out of habit. "6000...but I'm willin' to bet that you're hiding your power as well, aren't you? Not that it matters. You're gonna be hurtin' all too soon—"

Nappa decided not to let him finish as he rushed forward and elbowed Recoome right in the nose. A loud snap could be heard as the cartilage shattered, and Recoome roared in pain before taking a wild swing at Nappa that was easily dodged. The saiyan followed up with a punch to the stomach which doubled Recoome over, but the Giny warrior quickly regained his bearings and launched a right hook at Nappa's face, which managed to connect. Nappa nearly lost his balance, but caught himself. Ignoring the ugly bruise on his face, he grabbed Recoome by the arm and slammed him against the ground like a rag doll.

"Captain, his power level is at 40,000. The same as Recoome's," Jeice stated gravely. Ginyu's only response was to continue watching the fight.

After another exchange of blows, Nappa swung Recoome around by the leg and launched him into the air. He followed up by firing a ki blast from his mouth, which engulfed Recoome in a blinding flash of light. When the light faded, Recoome was revealed to be hovering in the air, burned badly with his armor nearly gone but still very much alive.

"It may interest you to know that while their power levels may be the same, Nappa's fighting style and technique is much better honed," Raditz spoke up from the sidelines. "In other words...this won't end well for you."

Meanwhile, Krillin listened with wide eyes. _He's lying! Nappa is still suppressing his ki a bit! It's like everything they say is meant to throw their opponents off! I really would not want to fight these guys._

As Nappa rose into the air to pursue his opponent, Recoome dived towards him to meet him halfway, but Nappa twisted around mid air and elbowed him in the skull, dazing him momentarily before he grabbed him in a body bind. Recoome started struggling to escape, but Nappa didn't give him a chance, diving towards the ground and pile driving him into the earth headfirst. He rolled and skidded across the ground as the recoil of such a move took its toll, before he straightened out. As Recoome started to work himself free from the dirt, Nappa held his palm out, offering no respite. He sent a huge ki blast at Recoome before he could get free, which exploded on contact, scorching the earth for miles.

The observers took a moment to regain their bearings, some having ducked for cover from the resulting shockwave. Much to their surprise, Recoome emerged from the blast standing on his feet once again, though he looked much worse for wear now.

"You're tough to put down, I'll give you that," Nappa stated, spitting out a wad of blood from his mouth.

"And you really know how to run away," Recoome stated. He followed the backhanded compliment by holding his arms out in front of him. But just try to dodge this!" His ki started to spike as he gathered energy for a wide area of effect attack. Nappa simply smirked and mimicked the movement.

Jeice stared in horror as Nappa's power level rose again, finally settling at 45,000. "Recoome! Don't!" he shouted, but his comrade either didn't hear him or didn't take head as he let loose his blast. Raditz grinned as Nappa did the same, and the two blasts met in the middle. Slowly, Nappa's blast gained ground, and Recoome was unable to get out of the way in time as his attack was overtaken. He shouted in pain as the ki blast engulfed him, slowly roasting him alive. It felt like an eternity before the attack finally faded into nothingness, and he fell towards the earth with a loud crash. His flesh was charred all over, and it felt like every bone in his body was broken. He feebly attempted to rise to his feet as Nappa landed next to him, panting heavily. The tall saiyan sent a mocking salute towards the rest of horrified Ginyu Force, before sending a quick ki blast through the downed warrior's chest, ending his life instantly.

* * *

A/N: Power levels:

Guldo: 9000

Raditz (suppressed): 1200

Raditz (max): 28,000

Recoome: 40,000

Nappa (suppressed): 6000

Nappa (max): 45,000

Please review!


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